‘Pokémon Go’ player fatally shot in San Francisco

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Gamer Mike Garcia, 24, plays Pokemon Go while he is being driven by Pika Speed in down-town San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, July 20, 2016. Pika Speed, which offers to drive Pokemon Go players around as they play the game. (Josie Lepe/Bay Area News Group)

Calvin Riley, a graduate of Serra High School in San Mateo, was fatally shot on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016, in San Francisco. (Courtesy of San Joaquin Delta College)

SAN FRANCISCO — A San Mateo family grieved the loss of their beloved 20-year-old son Monday as police investigated his shooting death Saturday night in San Francisco’s Aquatic Park, where he and a boyhood friend were playing “Pokémon Go.”

Calvin Riley, a college baseball player and graduate of Serra High School in San Mateo, was killed around 10 p.m. Saturday by an unknown assailant.

Riley and a friend were walking on the western side of the park when he was shot in the lower back, according to John Kirby, a close friend of the Riley family. The friend told Riley’s parents he glimpsed the shooter running away and realized it was the same man who had been watching them from a hill moments before, according to Kirby.

The U.S. Park Police are leading the investigation because the crime took place within the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park near Fisherman’s Wharf. They are asking anyone who witnessed suspicious behavior in the area between 9 and 10 p.m. Sunday to call their tip line at 415-561-5150. Police are also seeking cell phone videos and photos that may shed light on the crime.

Kirby, who is assistant athletic director at Serra, said Riley was universally liked.

“You will not be able to find one person on the face of this earth that would ever say something bad about him,” he said. “I remember when I first met him he had just this infectious smile. Always had something positive to say, would always play with my daughter, always had a tremendous work ethic, always worried about other people before himself.”

Calvin Riley graduated from Serra in 2015 and was about to start his sophomore year as a pitcher for the San Joaquin Delta College Mustangs in Stockton.

Reed Peters, coach of the Mustangs, said Riley was a tremendous competitor on the baseball field, a team player and someone everyone loved to be around because of his humor and outgoing nature.

“I’m just sitting at the baseball field right now in shock,” he said. “Whatever you asked him to do, he would do it, and the tougher the situation, the better he got.”

Dean Ayoob, Serra’s athletic director, said in a statement Sunday that Riley was a kind and respectful person who loved the game of baseball.

“The Serra community is absolutely devastated by the loss of a wonderful young man who was full of life. Calvin was always smiling and he cared about helping others. His personality was bigger than life,” Ayoob said. “We will all keep Calvin’s family in our prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”

Riley also played for the Menlo Park Legends, a summer college baseball team. David Klein, the head coach and manager for the team, said he was always looking for ways to improve as a player. Working at a youth summer camp, Riley was so good with kids that Klein invited him to be a coach for the program, a job that was going to start on Monday.

“He was really just a good guy and the type of player you would want to have on your team,” he said.

The Rileys moved to the Bay Area about five years ago from Lowell, Mass., in part because they thought it would be a safer place to raise their children, said Kirby, who described Calvin’s parents as “devastated” by his death.

Calvin took a friend who was visiting from the Lowell area to San Francisco on Saturday night to see the Ghirardelli Square area, said Kirby.

Lynn Cullivan, spokesman for the Maritime National Historic Park, said the area has been a popular spot in recent weeks among “Pokémon Go” players.

“There are a lot of those stops along Fisherman’s Wharf and some in Aquatic Park,” he said.

An online fundraiser for Riley’s funeral was set up on GoFundMe by his cousin Gabriel Antonio Morales. As of 3 p.m. Monday, the fundraiser had raised more than $44,000.

This isn’t the first time a “Pokémon Go” player has been the victim of a crime or faced a dangerous situation. Last week, a player said he was slashed in the face by an attacker in downtown San Jose.

Multiple police departments have issued safety tips about the popular augmented reality game, asking people to be aware of their surroundings and the possibility of encountering strangers at hot spots tied to the game.

Queenie Wong covers social media businesses, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, for The Mercury News. She grew up in Southern California and is a graduate of Washington and Lee University where she earned bachelor's degrees in journalism and studio art.